Comments Roz Cummins has made

  • Any joy that I felt over Obama's election..

    has evaporated with his pick of Rick Warren to appear as part of his inaugural ceremony. Choosing someone who opposes equality is not an inclusive thing to do no matter how they try to spin it.

    It makes me sad that what I had hoped would be a really joyful moment will instead be a very sad one for most of the people that I know who care deeply about equal rights. I am still hopeful that Obama will be a great president and will find ways to do all the things that need to be done to turn our country - and the environment - around, and I will do all that I can to support his efforts, but I will be doing so with a heavy heart. I don't think that I will ever be able to trust him or feel genuinely enthusiastic about him again.On The top green stories of 2008 posted 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Can solar panels have heating elements installed?

    Is there any reason why solar panels can't have some kind of heating element installed? That would prevent snow from sticking to them wouldn't it?On Old Man Winter declares war on renewable energy posted 11 months ago 33 Responses

  • Camel milk is being made into cheese as well

    And, believe it or not, they call it Camelbert:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/dining/19camel.html?ref ...On Not all fermented dairy products are created equal posted 11 months, 1 week ago 5 Responses

  • An article about Farm Girl Farm

    I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Meister a while ago. Here is the URL if you'd like to learn more about Farm Girl Farm:

    http://www.grist.org/advice/season/2007/10/18/index.html
    On Notes from Stone Barns' 'Young Farmer Conference' posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago 4 Responses

  • To get in touch with me...

    If you want to sign up as a recipe tester or if you have comments or suggestions, please email me at kitchenalmanac@gmail.com. Thanks.On Judging a tomato contest, and celebrating with a fresh, tomato-y gumbo posted 1 year, 2 months ago 2 Responses

  • Breadbowl...

    Hi. If by "breadbowl" you mean a hollowed out loaf of bread (like the ones that soup and hot dips are sometimes served in) I supposed it's worth a try. The one thing that might present a problem is the step where you weigh it down. I would try to find a bowl that is very close in size to the loaf of bread. Good luck and please tell me how it turns out.On With berries and bread, you can make a delectable summer pudding posted 1 year, 2 months ago 3 Responses

  • Just use a washcloth...

    If you wash your face with a washcloth you won't need to exfoliate with "beads."On Beads in many face scrubs harmful to marine life posted 1 year, 3 months ago 5 Responses

  • I have nothing to do with choosing the photos...

    Yes, I agree that the photo couldn't possibly be of a soup made from this recipe. No, I had nothing to do with choosing the photo. The art department does that. BTW, the photo of the vixen with the heavy eye shadow and false lashes that accompanies the article on organic wine? That isn't really of me either, just in case you are wondering... On How author Betsy Block convinced her finicky family to mend their dietary ways posted 1 year, 4 months ago 25 Responses

  • It's been very interesting to discover...

    that organic wine is often not labeled as such. It seems like such a contrast to all the greenwashing that goes on. On A primer on organic wines, and a sweet way to bring them to the table posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responses

  • Or use a hand push mower

    That's quieter.On Lessons from a sustainable-food conference at the Monterey Bay Aquarium posted 1 year, 6 months ago 8 Responses

  • A Glossary of Eco-speak...

    It would be great if there were a place where readers could go to find the definitions of, say, CAFO and CAFE. In addition to the bizillion acronyms that are the stuff and substance of modern communication, it would help to offer other definitions as well: grass-fed vs. grass-finished, optical brighteners, caps vs. freezes, all those the sorts of things. I think that the editors in charge of each of the six new sections could assign interns to go over past columns and find instances of jargon that could use defining and compile a list and definitions. It would be cool to offer sources and examples as well, sort of like the OED, but that might take more work. (But what a great project for someone who loves language and neologisms to take on!)
    On Grist is cooking up a new site; what do you want to see in it? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 32 Responses

  • I couldn't agree more...

    with Canis Candida's comment that: "...the motto, "Sustainability need not mean self-denial," seems quite to miss the point." It was added to my article during the editorial process. I myself am totally fine with making sacrifices and consider certain sacrifices to be absolutely necessary if we are to get out of the situation in which we find ourselves.

    I read an interview a year or so ago with a guy who was being hailed as an environmental youth leader and he said  something along the lines of  "I'm not going to do anything crazy like give up taking long, hot showers" and I remember thinking that if that was his attitude then he totally didn't get it. Giving up taking long, hot showers in one of the absolutely easiest things one can do, so why not do it?

    There are some people who believe that the way to get the public to live more environmentally conscious lives is to present only happy alternatives to the way we do things now -- and it is certainly true that there are many ways to live a more environmentally-sound life that are, in fact, easy, pleasant, and sacrifice-free -- but that's not the whole story.

    The way I look at it, it's better to make every single "easy" sacrifice that we can while we still have that option. If we don't change our way of living, we will soon find that we are forced to make larger, harder sacrifices about which we will have no choice. I think that a lot of the luxuries that many Americans now take for granted are eventually going to become distant memories -- affordable (for some) air travel, swimming pools, lush green lawns, fresh fruit imported from Chile in the dead of winter -- these may all be consigned to history.

    The present reality  is all that any of us are familiar with, so it doesn't strike us as odd or unsustainable that we can walk into a grocery store in any major city and buy products gathered from around the world, or that, given enough income, people can travel to countries on the other side of the earth, and not just for business, but for pleasure. Compared to the rest of human history, however, this is an extraordinary expenditure of natural resources, particularly for things that are really luxuries rather than necessities.

    As I said, it's not really a fault or failing that we accept this as reality. For most of us, whether we've personally been able to take advantage of these opportunities or not, it is still our only experience and expectation of what it means to be alive in the 21st century. We'd be foolish, however, to imagine that things will continue as they have while our energy sources and natural resources are rapidly depleted, and the time left to make changes grows ever shorter.On Lessons from a sustainable-food conference at the Monterey Bay Aquarium posted 1 year, 6 months ago 8 Responses

  • Coke made with sugar for Passover...

    If you want Coke made with sugar rather than corn syrup, you can sometimes find it in the stores around Passover.On Yes, according to a new 'artisanal' restaurant in Atlanta posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses

  • Yes

    Hi. Yes, it's true that vegans don't eat honey. It was a transcribing error on my part. (If you could see my system for holding my tomato-splattered oil-stained hand written copies of my recipes while I transcribe them you'd laugh. It's quite a contraption, aimed at preventing kitties from sitting on my papers while I am trying to read them. I guess I am going to have to declare my desk a kitty-free zone.) Thanks for pointing it out, though, as many people are surprised that vegans don't eat honey. There are many substitutions one can make. I have listed some of them above. (A few comments before yours.) Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.On While food prices rise, here's a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dish that won't cause sticker shock posted 1 year, 7 months ago 14 Responses

  • The honey is optional...

    I meant to label it as such. You can substitute a teaspoon or two of a jam that you like or a little bit of maple syrup. You can also use apple juice or apple juice concentrate. Sugar is a last resort, and, as you no doubt are aware, not all brands of sugar are vegan. Some use animal bones as part of the refining process.

    Also, you may not need to use any sweetener at all. It really depends on how acidic the tomatoes are and also on your own palate and preferences.On While food prices rise, here's a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dish that won't cause sticker shock posted 1 year, 7 months ago 14 Responses

  • Well, I doubt Skyline uses apricots in theirs...

    so I think I am probably not committing "taste infringement" plus I have never tasted anybody's Cincinnati Chili but my own, so I have no standard to which to compare it.

    I will be visiting Cleveland sometime this year, and I am hoping that perhaps they serve Cincinnati Chili in Cleveland. Any recommendations? (Also other suggestions of what to do in Cleveland are welcome.)On While food prices rise, here's a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dish that won't cause sticker shock posted 1 year, 7 months ago 14 Responses

  • Yes, I drain and rinse the beans...

    I always rinse and drain beans from a can. Some recipes that I've read call for using the liquid that the canned beans come in (presumably because of the nutrients in the liquid) but I find that it muddies that taste of whatever I'm cooking. Of course the flavor of the liquid varies depending on the type of bean and the brand (and for all I know it may also vary from batch to batch) so you might want to taste it and see if you like it, but if you have any question about it at all, don't use the canned bean liquid.

    I have also read that ingesting liquid that has been in contact with beans for prolonged periods may increase flatulence. I have no idea if that's true. Our motto around here is "Carpe Beano!"On While food prices rise, here's a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dish that won't cause sticker shock posted 1 year, 7 months ago 14 Responses

  • How about Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern

    This is a documentary in which the film maker records the loss of her family farm. It's well done and very moving.On 15 Green Movies posted 1 year, 7 months ago 52 Responses

  • This highlights the importance of...

    the work that many organizations do to alleviate hunger locally, nationally, and internationally.

    The fact that many people don't get the amount or quality of food that would be best for them is something that we need to keep in mind in all of our own thoughts, statements, and actions about the way food is grown and distributed. This is especially true for those of us whose opinions are made publicly.

    I know that most of my friends and I are already making a lot of difficult decisions about which foods we can -- or cannot -- afford to buy organically, and now we are moving into a period when we have to think hard about what foods we can afford to buy at all. Friends have been hitting me up for a lot more new bean and pasta recipes.

    I often shop at a supermarket near me that is located next to a housing project. I can tell how bad the economy is by looking in everyone's carts. These days most families are buying lots of carbs and a lot less protein.

    Thanks for a great article, Tom.On Why Michael Pollan and Alice Waters should quit celebrating food-price hikes posted 1 year, 7 months ago 27 Responses

  • The MBA list has health advisories as well

    If you look at the larger list of seafood choices on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website, you will see that there are health advisories included in the information about each fish. For example, here is the entry for Chilean Sea Bass (which you shouldn't be eating for environmental reasons to begin with.)

    http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sf ...
    On How the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes its safe-seafood list posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • Juvenile wild salmon, sea lice, and salmon farms

    Something that got cut out of the article (I assume for length) is the explanation of how sea lice are transferred from farmed salmon to juvenile wild salmon. I think it's an important part of understanding the risks posed by salmon farms, so I will recap the explanation here: mature wild salmon return to their homewaters to spawn. This means that they leave the ocean, swim up a river, and either lay their eggs or deposit their milt over the eggs. After reproducing they die.

    Juvenile wild salmon make their way down the river when they are still very small (typically about four inches in length) and, as they swim past the pens of farmed salmon that are situated along the coast or they encounter escaped farmed salmon, they are exposed to the sea lice that infest the farmed salmon. Because they are so small, the juvenile wild salmon do not do well once they are infested with the parasites.

    If there were no salmon farms, the juvenile wild salmon's exposure to sea lice would be delayed until they were older and stronger and better able to survive the infestation.On How the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes its safe-seafood list posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • Health alerts re fish by species..

    Here is a list of health alerts by species, presented by the Environmental Defense Fund.

    http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=17694
    On How the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes its safe-seafood list posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • You can use half and half instead of heavy cream..

    if you want to make the sauce less creamy. It will still taste really good, it just won't become thick. I've never made it with almond milk or soy milk, but why not try it? I'd just have a back-up plan if you want to make this for guests without trying it as a trial run first. Good luck and let me know what happens. On Drive a stake into winter's cold heart with a creamy, dreamy noodle dish posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • Those crazy editors!

    Someone added Coco Chanel to the list of American style icons. Needless to say, Coco Chanel was not American! It was because of her, however, that I spent my pre-literate childhood wondering why my mom would wear a perfume named after a television station.On Drive a stake into winter's cold heart with a creamy, dreamy noodle dish posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • Thanks, Eli...

    You were the Mangrove Action Project's representative on the Chef's Collaborative conference call on sustainable shrimp on Tuesday, yes? I thought that what you had to say about local access to shoreline and the need to avoid salinity problems in local wells was very interesting. Thanks for raising all of these topics. Perhaps we can do an interview about these in the near future. - RozOn Fishing for hope at a seafood-industry trade show posted 1 year, 8 months ago 6 Responses

  • Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cake

    There's a recipe for Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cake that's very good in the archives:

    http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/8/4/194053/7306
    On A pair of decadent desserts guaranteed to sweeten up your Valentine's Day posted 1 year, 9 months ago 6 Responses

  • Preheat the oven about 30 minutes before baking...

    Thanks for pointing out the glitch in the timing for preheating the oven. Yes, you should preheat the oven about 30 minutes before baking.On A pair of decadent desserts guaranteed to sweeten up your Valentine's Day posted 1 year, 9 months ago 6 Responses

  • Here is a list of vegan recipes from this column

    if you are looking for some that you can try:

    1.) Chocolate Cherry Cake
    2.) Peanut Sauce
    3.) Brokeass 3 Bean Salad
    4.) Sweet & Sour Soup
    5.) Sweet Potato Soup (if you make it with vegetable broth)
    6.) Tomato-Orange Soup with Basil and Cinnamon (if you don't add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream)
    7.) Panzanella with lemon-chive vinaigrette
    8.) Night of 1,000 Nightshades (a stew)
    9.) Kale with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, and Raisins
    10.) Thai Flavors Salad
    11.) Maple-Basil Dressing
    12.) Red Pepper Miso Soup
    13.) Chickpea Curry with Tomato and Mango
    14.) Zucchini Salad with Raisins and Honey-Curry Dressing

    also, Marge Piercy's book includes a recipe that we reprinted for 15.) Sweet Potato Kugel

    As you may have read in my response to Ethicurean, and as you can see from my recipes, I usually use unprocessed ingredients, but I wanted to try using some of the products that I normally avoid. I thought that it would be good for me to do something outside my normal comfort zone and to see what many vegans and vegetarians routinely use in their cooking. I probably won't use the "sausage" again (I'd rather just make something with tofu and season it myself) but I liked the tofu ravioli and will use it in the future. I do sometimes use a jar of organic tomato sauce and canned beans in my cooking and I feel okay about that. Like a lot of people, I have an insanely busy schedule and I try to cook the healthiest meals that I can in the time that I have. Also, I often decide what to cook depending on what's in the market that day, which means that it's too late to soak beans. Fortunately, organic canned beans are very affordable and I make use of them a lot.On A noncarnivorous path to Super Bowl-snack nirvana posted 1 year, 9 months ago 9 Responses

  • About jars and cans and "sausages"...

    I know what you mean about prepackaged foods. I normally steer clear of dishes that I can't make with ingredients in their least processed state. However, lots of vegans write in requesting vegan recipes and many of the vegans I spend time with (and eat with regularly) all make use of soy  or gluten-based meat substitutes (sausages, "cold cuts", textured protein, etc.) on a regular basis so I thought I'd try to make a recipe that reflects the way that most of the vegans that I know actually cook rather than always following my own instincts and preferences. There are some vegan ingredients I won't use: fake eggs seem ridiculous to me. I get eggs at a community organic farm where the chickens can go outdoors and scratch, and they are fed an excellent diet. Why wouldn't I want to support that? Also, why would I want to put the ingredients that are in fake eggs into my body? The brands I've seen are made largely out of starch. I want protein when I eat an egg, not starch! But, for people who don't want to eat eggs, fake eggs are useful. (I also have a friend with a severe allergy to eggs and she uses them too.)

    As far as margarine goes, I personally prefer butter made from organic milk. The corn-based margarine that I was raised on (which I always told my parents "doesn't taste like it's a food") was awful and bad for you as well. Some of the new soy margarine products are better.

    BTW, the person who put in the links in the article meant to write Earth Balance, not Smart Balance. (The link does go to Earth Balance.) I will ask the Grist staff to correct that.

    So, to address your concern, I don't normally use these ingredients in my cooking, but I thought it would be good to go outside of my comfort zone a bit and explore some vegan products. Interestingly, none of the vegans I know have told me that they find this recipe "insulting." They were glad that I published a recipe they want to try. The people who ate the dish all enjoyed it... even the dedicated carnivores! I don't think that they'll be filling a piñata with soy-based sausages any time soon, but you never know.

    That said, I think there's nothing wrong with using a jar of organic sauce if one is in a hurry, and I use canned beans when I don't have the time to soak them overnight. (This is one of the major ways I plan to make use of a time-travel machine when they invent one: to be able to go back to the previous day and start soaking beans...) I have made ravioli from scratch on occasion, but it's not something that I have the chance to do as often as I would like. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have more free time than I do. Are there some sauce recipes you'd like to share? Have you put up jars of sauce when you've had a good harvest of tomatoes? Please share your experiences with us.

    Also, this recipe is for just one course of a meal, not the entire meal, so there is certainly room for more vegetables. Serve your favorite vegetables as a side dish. I always like to have a salad as well. Many readers tell me that they really like the made-from-scratch Maple-Basil salad dressing in the article I wrote called "Looking for a Miracle." One reader told me that she's never bought another bottle of salad dressing since then! I hope that you will enjoy it too. Bon appetit!On A noncarnivorous path to Super Bowl-snack nirvana posted 1 year, 9 months ago 9 Responses

  • The Taste of Country Cooking

    is one of my favorite books -- not just one of my favorite cookbooks, but one of my favorite books. Her descriptions of working with the seasons and waiting with anticipation for certain ingredients to be available serve as the best appreciation of seasonality that anyone could hope to read. I was also always impressed by her great beauty and sense of style.On Edna Lewis, late doyenne of traditional southern fare, in Gourmet posted 1 year, 10 months ago 3 Responses

  • Good interview...

    I'm glad that they asked you to comment on the bill. On My opinion, and an industrial soybean farmer's posted 1 year, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • If you read the section about Drayton Harbor...

    ...and the work that they are doing in terms of improving the water quality through growing oysters, you will see an example of how eating animals, in this case oysters, supports their work. (The funds raised from the sale of the oysters contributes to the cost of maintaining the program.)

    The answer to the question of whether eating animals is sustainable is not a quick and easy one. Many people prefer to not to eat animals for ethical reasons, which is great. Some people who don't have any qualms about the ethics of eating animals decide that it isn't sustainable to eat them, and while this is true in many cases, it isn't true in all cases.

    In order to really get at the facts, it's necessary to look at different practices individually. Huge feedlots? An obvious no. Oyster farming that actually improves the envionment? For me, that's a yes.On How I shucked my oyster ambivalence and learned to love the noble bivalve posted 1 year, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • Spats and gametes...

    In case you're wondering what the "spat" in the caption refers to, that is the phrase used to describe a baby oyster.

    I also want to clarify that it is the oysters' gametes (the eggs and sperm) that are combined in order for fertilization to occur, not the oysters themselves. Since this is a form of external fertilization, the mama and papa oysters don't need to be present for this stage of reproduction.On How I shucked my oyster ambivalence and learned to love the noble bivalve posted 1 year, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • I sure do...

    That's why it was kind of inconvenient that this took longer than expected. I had the Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving week-end off and then we finished everything on Monday night. Next year the process won't be a surprise and it will take a lot less time. I can hardly wait!On The gallery of gingerbread photos is up posted 1 year, 11 months ago 3 Responses

  • Yes, that was my point...

    although I should probably have explained myself better. It's weird to see a town where neighbors eat one another!On A plate for vegetarians posted 1 year, 11 months ago 7 Responses

  • Yes, that was my point...

    although I should probably have explained myself better. It's weird to see a town where neighbors eat one another!On A plate for vegetarians posted 1 year, 11 months ago 7 Responses

  • Here's the URL for the extra pictures...

    http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/568236/

    I want to thank Bonnie Borthwick once again for taking the photos. On Building an eco-home from a favorite holiday sweet posted 1 year, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • I couldn't agree more...

    I always find it weird when animals that are "natural enemies" are paired up in a crazy kind of buddy system in children's stories or in art. I also find it odd when certain animals in a story are portrayed as selling meat. Grocer Cat stands proudly by a case of meat in one of Richard Scary's books, which I find hard to understand.

    I also feel similarly about Noah's Ark. Many years ago I wrote a short story about a little girl who asks her mom how God could have killed all the other innocent animals. Once I get around to setting up a website (on my list of resolutions for 2008) I will post it there.On A plate for vegetarians posted 1 year, 11 months ago 7 Responses

  • The other houses, more photos, etc.

    Some of the photos we took didn't turn out well because of problems with the depth of field. We're going to try to take some new photos and maybe put up a link to a Flikr gallery or something like that eventually. On Building an eco-home from a favorite holiday sweet posted 1 year, 12 months ago 6 Responses

  • Farmers Markets...

    Most of the ones around here had already closed for the season, otherwise I would have included them. If you live someplace where they are open all year, I envy you.On In which we attempt to calculate how much an organic feast would cost posted 1 year, 12 months ago 9 Responses

  • Yes, squash is good...

    and it works well in recipes where pumpkin is called for.On A recipe for no-boil pumpkin lasagna posted 1 year, 12 months ago 10 Responses

  • The reason I didn't use fresh pumpkin...

    ...is because it's so stringy and often the flavor isn't very good. I spent years trying to work with fresh pumpkin and was never happy with the taste or texture of the result. Now I always buy organic canned pumpkin instead and I'm really glad it's available. I've never been disappointed.

    I was pleased to read in the November issue of Saveur (at least I think that's where I read it) that the species of pumpkin used for canning has better flavor and texture for eating  and cooking than a lot of the pumpkins that one can buy fresh.

    My experience with fresh pumpkins was that we never finished eating whatever I made because it just wasn't very good and we ended up throwing some of it away (which is considered a sin in my family) and I'd rather use delicious canned organic pumpkin than throw fresh pumpkin away.

    That said, if you want to use fresh pumpkin, I think it's worth trying. Perhaps you'll have a better experience than I did. Happy Thanksgiving!On A recipe for no-boil pumpkin lasagna posted 2 years ago 10 Responses

  • Here's the URL for Karlie's sweet potato pudding

    It features the 5th food group - bourbon. I made it tonight to make sure that it is just as delicious as I remember it to be. It is! I used pecans instead of black walnuts.

    http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/11/18/172915/30On In which we attempt to calculate how much an organic feast would cost posted 2 years ago 9 Responses

  • That was an erroneous email!

    Hi. Someone sent out an email saying there was a vegan version, but clearly there isn't one! There's just one that contained vegan sausage as an ingredient. So, sorry about that. I will ask them to check with me in the future, or maybe I will just take to labeling my recipes as Vegan, Veg, or Omni.

    I can imagine using silken tofu in place of the ricotta and goat cheese in the pumpkin mixture, but you'd have to resort to using vegan "cheese" on top of the lasagna which, in my experience, doesn't melt that well, but I gave up experimenting with fake cheese a few years ago and perhaps they have come up with something better since then.

    I googled vegan + pumpkin lasagna and got a bunch of hits, so I think they may have more and better advice about how to make a vegan pumpkin lasagna than I can offer you. Have a happy Thanksgiving.On A recipe for no-boil pumpkin lasagna posted 2 years ago 10 Responses

  • I'll post the recipe for you...

    before Thanksgiving. - RozOn In which we attempt to calculate how much an organic feast would cost posted 2 years ago 9 Responses

  • It's pretty good if I say so myself...

    ...but I thought that it would be a while before I wanted to eat it again, because I made so many versions in such a short period of time. It's a cold, rainy day here, though, and I find myself wishing I had a nice hot pan of lasagna once more! On A recipe for no-boil pumpkin lasagna posted 2 years ago 10 Responses

  • Isn't this really a first amendment issue?

    I believe that the government telling dairies that they can't state that they don't use antibiotics or hormones is a form of prior restraint. I believe that this issue should be championed by free speech advocates as well as advocates for safe foods.

    To those who believe that humans shouldn't ingest cows milk, that's all well and good, but doesn't it bother you that our government agencies are in the pockets of special interests like Monsanto to the degree that they would deprive milk drinkers from having important information like whether a dairy uses these substances on their cows? It bothers me.On Pennsylvania bans hormone- and antibiotic-free labels on dairy products posted 2 years ago 21 Responses

  • Pumpkin cake as a bundt cake

    It should work. It's a dense, moist cake, though, so I'd try reducing the amount of pumpkin by 1/2 cup (once you've doubled the recipe) to try to make the batter a little less heavy and wet. This means that for the double recipe, you'd use only 1 cup of pumpkin, rather than one and one half cups (i.e., 2 x 3/4 cup). Let me know how it turns out.

    My mom used to bake a bundt cake popular in the 70's called a Harvey Wallbanger cake that had a syrup that you poured over the finished cake. It was really good! I'm going to see if I can find a copy of that recipe.On An unseasonably warm night and a doomed-to-melt dessert posted 2 years ago 11 Responses

  • I can't wait...

    ...to make the volcanic dessert you describe. My happiest science project memory is of making a volcano for my 8th grade science class with my friend Claudia, and if I can combine a volcano with dessert, well, that would be heavenly!On An unseasonably warm night and a doomed-to-melt dessert posted 2 years ago 11 Responses

  • Here's the URL for the "Dirty Dozen"

    and also a list of the "consistently clean".

    http://www.foodnews.org/release.phpOn An unseasonably warm night and a doomed-to-melt dessert posted 2 years ago 11 Responses

  • Organic and Vegan alternatives...

    Thanks for raising the topic of organic/vegan alternatives.

    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

    If you read my columns regularly, you'll notice that sometimes I mention buying organic produce and ingredents in my columns and sometimes I don't. My feeling about that is that most Grist readers are probably already buying as many organic products as they can afford and I don't want to nag them and sound like a broken record. Parents of young children, in particular, tell me how guilty and helpless it makes them feel if they are constantly being told to buy food they can't afford.

    However, if it strikes me as important, I mention it. In the above article, for example, I say that it's good to buy organic powdered sugar because powdered sugar has cornstarch in it and I prefer to use something that has organic cornstarch rather than cornstarch that could have been made with GMO corn. Most people don't know that powdered sugar contains cornstarch, and that's the reason I mention it.

    It's also true that, from a pesticide-conscious perspective, not everything need be purchased organically. Some plants require few pesticides because they are, by nature, fairly pest-resistant. They may not be treated with pesticides at all, and yet that is not the same thing as being grown organically, which entails a lot of work on the soil as well as the mere absence of non-organic certified pesticides. It's also true -- as you have no doubt read in recent postings on Grist -- that organic produce appears to contain more potent micronutrients and is therefor more nourishing. Of course from an environmental perspective, it's always better to buy crops that have been raised organically. It's a better choice if you care about the health of the farmers and farm workers too.

    In terms of how best to spend one's food budget on organic food, just find a copy of the "dirty dozen" list. (I'll give the URL in a separate posting.) It tells you which foods are best to avoid due to pesticide use.

    So, for all of these reasons, I don't go into the ins and outs of buying organic food in every column. I try to take it on a case by case basis. There is a method to my madness!

    VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN ALTERNATIVES

    As you may have noticed, the vast majority of recipes I post are vegetarian, and many are vegan.

    That said, I don't always write things like "or use a soy version" because most of the vegetarians and vegans I know automatically make the needed adjustments in order to bring a recipe in line with meeting their own needs. For me to write "or use soy ice cream in place of regular ice cream" seems both needless and patronizing.

    It's much harder, however, for the average vegan reader to come up with a vegan cake recipe. That's why I went to the trouble of creating a vegan pumpkin cake.

    I try to use my time and effort judiciously and focus on where its needed most.On An unseasonably warm night and a doomed-to-melt dessert posted 2 years ago 11 Responses

  • Congratulations!

    My box of books arrived in the mail today. It looks great! Congratulations to everyone who put it together. - RozOn Seattle Grist Reader Party -- go get your tickets! posted 2 years, 1 month ago 9 Responses

  • I adore the Oxford comma...

    To me, any phrase that could use the Oxford comma but lacks it is sort of naked, and not in a good way. I have very strong feelings on this topic!On OK, so it's Saturday now -- still time for a tune about punctuation posted 2 years, 1 month ago 29 Responses

  • A short, strange, and wonderful Magritte video...

    While looking for something else today I found this short video that uses themes from Magritte's paintings as a setting for dance:

    http://openvault.wgbh.org/ntw/MLA000214/index.htmlOn An autumn swim at Walden, a warm robe, and a piping hot bowl of soup posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • The weather...

    Hi. Yes, it's been warm here lately. When I wrote this article four weeks ago we'd had a few cool days and I had a swim that was more typical of this time of year -- I felt chilled to the core when I got out. Since then I've had a few much warmer swims. One day recently it felt almost like bath water! It's sort of nice to have the season extended somewhat, but it's unsettling too....On An autumn swim at Walden, a warm robe, and a piping hot bowl of soup posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Yes, it's even better the next day...

    Yes, this soup is even better the next day. When I was creating it I spent a whole day trying to figure out if I should use carrots and finally, at the end of the day, I smacked my hand on my forehead and said "Duh! Sweet potatoes!" and I think it's the sweet potatoes that make it so good and even better once it's had a chance to sit around for a day.

    Lucky you to live to close to the pond and to be able to visit it in all its seasons. I always find it odd to see someone ice fishing where I have been doing the backstroke not so many months ago. I've also heard that in the early spring you can hear the ice "singing" at night and that it sounds like whales singing. Have you ever heard that?On An autumn swim at Walden, a warm robe, and a piping hot bowl of soup posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Take heart!

    Isn't one of the alternate theories of Global Warming that the vast quantitites of fresh water entering the ocean as polar ice melts will screw up the Gulf Stream, thus plunging Northen Europe into a mini ice-age? Cheer up!On Designers lament what will happen when there are no seasons posted 2 years, 1 month ago 6 Responses

  • You can use vegetable stock for this recipe...

    and you could even use water if you don't have any stock on hand, so this recipe should work for you.On An autumn swim at Walden, a warm robe, and a piping hot bowl of soup posted 2 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Yes, raw zukes are good as dippers...

    Thanks for reminding me that they make great dippers. I especially like them with a nice, thick, home-made blue cheese dressing or hummus.On On kids, zucchini, and an experiment with pizza soup posted 2 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • Crab Cakes and The Streak...

    I can't wait to make zucchini "crab cakes". Thanks for the suggestion.

    If you are someone who remembers "Junk Food Junkie" then you may also remember "The Streak" which I think may be what was actually on the B side of "Everything is beautiful."On On kids, zucchini, and an experiment with pizza soup posted 2 years, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • Different varieties and different growing seasons

    I just read this on the US Highbush Blueberry Council's website (highbush blueberries are the ones that are used for commercial purposes, vs. the tiny, tasty wild ones) and I was surprised to see how late the season goes in Canada. Also, there are highbush blueberries there are bred to be available "late season."

    Here's what the website says:

    "About 50 percent of all blueberries produced are dedicated to the fresh market. The harvest starts in Florida in the Early Spring and Ends in British Columbia Canada in October and sometimes later."

    Thanks again for your question. - RozOn As the season fades, it's time for one last blueberry blowout posted 2 years, 2 months ago 3 Responses

  • When I wrote the article, yes...

    there were still local berries. But then I wrote it three weeks before it went up on the website, and it's been posted for about a week already, so that's four weeks ago by now, i.e. about a month ago. I try to line up the recipe with the publication date but it doesn't always work out as cleanly as I'd like. Plus, when you factor in regional differences, it's sort of a moot point anyway (for example, if you were done with blueberries months ago, that's a big difference from here, where, by now, it's just been one month since we stopped getting fresh, local berries.)

    I take your point that it's important that the recipe be "in season." I'm just trying to explain that "in season" means different things to people who live in different parts of the country -- one of the challenges of writing about local food for a national audience.

    If you want to make this when there aren't fresh blueberries in your neck of the woods, you can look for preserved blueberries or use dried blueberries and rehydrate them. Try to get organic berries.On As the season fades, it's time for one last blueberry blowout posted 2 years, 2 months ago 3 Responses

  • Here are the recipes

    for lemon ice cream and warm blackberry sauce.

    http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/9/1/184315/2277On How to stick it to the ice-cream Man posted 2 years, 2 months ago 22 Responses

  • A fantastic new Ice Cream cookbook...

    My friend Jeri Quinzio just published a wonderful book full of recipes for ice cream, grantias, sorbets, slush, frozen mousse, and sauces, including two recipes by yours truly. It's a great book and it contains a short history of ice cream. Jeri is an ice cream historian and her more comprehensive book on the history of ice cream should be published sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, check out her current offering:

    Ice Cream: The Ultimate Cold Comfort
    (http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Cream-Ultimate-Cold-Comfort/dp/ ...)

    Also, I posted my grandmother's recipe for lemon ice cream with my own recipe for blackberry sauce on Grist last summer. I'll see if I can find the link. It's pretty damn good if I say so myself!On How to stick it to the ice-cream Man posted 2 years, 2 months ago 22 Responses

  • Thanks for the feedback...

    I love to hear back from people when they actually use the recipes. Bon Appetit!On On summer's end and salad dressing posted 2 years, 3 months ago 3 Responses

  • Busa Bucks...

    I'm glad someone else mentioned Busa Bucks. I like the fact that you can spend the Busa Bucks on only the vegetables you want to buy rather than getting vegetables that mght not be what you're looking for or need that week. It gives the purchaser much more flexibility. As one of the people who works at Busa Farms said to me "If you are having guests and need 12 ears of corn, why should you be getting three bunches of kale?"On Umbra on community-supported agriculture posted 2 years, 3 months ago 9 Responses

  • Saving the earth one iced coffee at a time...

    Last summer I did my work while sitting in Starbucks almost every day so as to keep from using any AC in my own home since they already had theirs going. I bought the T-mobile Wi Fi service offered through Starbucks (about $40/month) so I can get email  and use the web while there (and at certain book stores as well.) I ended up buying iced coffee for a few mornings when I first started working there and boy, did my efficiency increase! Anyway, enjoy the sense of glamour and the feeling of being part of the zeitgeist while it lasts, Dave. It wears off pretty quickly. Plus I really had to cut down on the swearing when my computer didn't do my bidding, etc. What fun is that???On Authenticity posted 2 years, 5 months ago 7 Responses

  • Successful sauces...

    I'm really glad I could help with the sauce thing. I had trouble trying to make an egg-lemon sauce for pasta because the pasta was still too warm, so it really makes a difference. Bon Appetit! - RozOn On summer memories and politically correct peanut butter posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • A great series...

    I enjoyed the book on what different families own as well. It's a really eye-opening series.On Lots of fruits and bread in Sicily; lots of junk in North Carolina posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • Looking at the big picture...

    Elitism is certainly an on-going issue when it comes to peoples' perceptions of Slow Food and things of similar ilk. The bottom line question is this: do you think that the work that the organization does is important? It is necessary, of course, to know what projects they undertake in order to make that decision for yourself. I wrote an article about the organization recently (it's in two parts, national and international) and I strongly suggest looking at their website as well.

    It is my own feeling that the work they do in supporting the maintenance of heritage breeds and connecting chefs and farmers (through national meetings and international meetings like Terra Madre) is very worthwhile. I certainly hope that the efforts of an entire organization aren't judged on the statements of one man, even if that man is the organization's figurehead.

    I hope to address the issue of elitism is an upcoming column. It's the elephant in the room, but it's an elephant that isn't necessarily well understood. (For example, I think that a lot of the reason why people have trouble affording food has less to do with the price of food as it does with the price of housing and healthcare.)

    As for my lapsed Latin gammar (as noticed by Canis Candida) I make it a policy to use whatever term an organization uses. I feel your grammar pain, though. When I say things like "campi" instead of "campuses," nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about.On Ruminations on food, class, and Carlo Petrini posted 2 years, 5 months ago 17 Responses

  • Well...

    It wasn't my first job by a longshot -- just my first newspaper job. I'd already done a lot of catering, taught Colonial Living to middle-school kids, and baby-sat and waitressed all through high school. I worked plating and serving desserts in my college cafeteria and giving campus tours. I did tons of secretarial work while I was growing up, and I developed X-rays, sold dog food, and rode a bicycle built for two with a friend who was blind. I did buy a bunch of dangly earrings with some of the proceeds, though, some of them with feathers!On On summer memories and politically correct peanut butter posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • Or....

    Michele, have you had a chance to read the first half of this article from 2 weeks ago? Maybe you will feel, if you read that section, that it fills in the gaps that you mention. It focuses more on the international and national work done by SF rather than the local, social part. Perhaps that's the missing piece. Thanks - RozOn On slow food, communal eating, and Reubenesque sandwiches posted 2 years, 6 months ago 3 Responses

  • Thanks for your comment...

    Hi. I got my information from an official in the organization during an interview that I conducted three weeks ago. I am not sure how much more current I can get than that given that I write a bi-weekly column. I will definitely look into it, though. Thanks again for your comment.On On slow food, communal eating, and Reubenesque sandwiches posted 2 years, 6 months ago 3 Responses

  • Signing the petition is quick and easy...

    It only took me a minute to read, sign, and email it. Well worth the trouble. Many thanks to the Organic Consumers Association.On 'Organic' beer with conventional hops, and other USDA wishes posted 2 years, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • This is bad news...

    as it contributes to the confusion about what a label saying organic really means...and in turn whether it has value.On 'Organic' beer with conventional hops, and other USDA wishes posted 2 years, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • A soda made with sugar, not corn syrup...

    I rarely drink soda but I do like to drink ginger ale now and then (and I believe that it really can help to settle an upset stomach) and G.U.S. (Grown Up Soda) makes a nice one that is made with sugar and doesn't have the weird, overly caramelized taste that a lot of other natural foods-type sugar-based ginger ales have.On On the peculiar American habit of demonizing food posted 2 years, 6 months ago 22 Responses

  • Thanks...

    Thanks for the link to this nice video. I've often thought that war is the ultimate form of disrespect towards women's work -- raising children to young adulthood, not any easy task at any time in history. These days I would amend that to read "parents' work." I am glad that there is a movement to reclaim the day.On A proclamation posted 2 years, 6 months ago 7 Responses

  • Using less of each cleaning product...

    I buy natural products and also use baking soda for several tasks, but the best tip I have is to use as little as possible of each product and then work your way up to see exactly how much is really needed. You'd be surprised how little is necessary to accomplish most cleaning tasks. On Can a mother survive without antibacterial wipes? posted 2 years, 6 months ago 13 Responses

  • Inviting friends who may not be as eco-aware...

    I would say that there is no reason to avoid inviting friends to an earth dinner, even if they may not currently be very active in addressing environmental issues.

    First of all, they may not know anyone who is interested or involved in these issues, and they may be very interested in getting involved once they know of other people who are trying to incorporate environmentally friendly choices into their lifestyle. You know the old expression "What do you need? A personal invitation?" Well, for some people the answer is yes, yes they do. So give them one!

    Secondly, it's important, I think, to invite people to examine what's happening both on a societal level and a personal one, but not to make them feel pressured or guilt-ridden. The pressure and guilt thing isn't really productive as far as I can tell. People have to want to make changes for positive reasons, not negative ones.

    Third, change works best when it's incremental. I think that a nice thing to do would be to have an Earth Dinner where friends decide what one change they'll make to decrease their carbon footprint, and then have another dinner with the same friends two months later and see what worked, what didn't, and what the challanges -- expected and unexpected -- might have been.

    If you are afraid that friends won't even consider coming to a dinner where the environment will be discussed, just invite them to a dinner where the bounty of the earth will be celebrated and appreicated, because the Earth Dinner is that as well.

    Plus, many of the cards ask people to talk about their personal memories. People love to talk about themselves, so "stack the deck" so that most of the connection and memory cards are at the top of the deck and then work your way into the other categories slowly...

    I am sure that no matter what you do, your dinner party will be fun and interesting.On Earth Dinners keep cuisine and conversation flowing posted 2 years, 7 months ago 10 Responses

  • It's worth looking for a good farm...

    that treats chickens well. I found one where the chickens are cage-free and have tons of room in which to move around. Something that struck me was that, even though they had so much room and could go wherever they wanted (including into cubbies when they wanted to lay) the vast majority of hens all hung out in little groups. I remember writing at the time that they looked like teenagers hanging out at a mall. It also gave me an insight into the phrase "hen party" (a group of women hanging out together.)

    The strangest thing about my trip to the farm was that many chickens decided to land on my head, shoulders, and arms, and to stay there for a while. I felt like a statue in a park, and my jacket was never the same, but I was happy to find a place where I felt that the chickens were treated kindly and with respect, and where they seemed perfectly happy in their chickenhood.On Earth Dinners keep cuisine and conversation flowing posted 2 years, 7 months ago 10 Responses

  • Yes, eggs...

    I get my eggs from a farm that I have visited myself. The chickens are not debeaked and I was more than satisfied that they were living in good conditions. They seemed very happy to me.On Earth Dinners keep cuisine and conversation flowing posted 2 years, 7 months ago 10 Responses

  • City/Region?

    That is really funny! They took a story that is truly global in scope and put it in the city/region section??? Sheesh! Maybe instead of calling it The Boston Globe we should just call it The Boston City/Region!On Mostly in the local papers posted 2 years, 7 months ago 15 Responses

  • Apples and technology advances...

    When I was a kid, someone did a demonstration for our Brownie troop using an apple to explain about how much (as in how little) tillable land there is on earth...they start by cutting off about 3/4 of the apple (it's an ocean!) then another 1/8 for everything else (it's polluted, already built up, a desert, etc.) and I couldn't sleep for weeks and weeks afterwards.

    I have always been concerned about the environment and have felt that it's necessary to do as much as we can to try to keep the earth livable, but when I worked at the Department of Technology, Business, and the Environment at MIT my mood improved considerably. I saw that there were many things that could be done to improve products and manufacturing practices. It will take political will and consumer pressure to bring these innovations to bear...but it's reassuring to know that there are some solutions and partial solutions out there.

    Of course one of the biggest environmental pressures is overpopulation. I don't understand why people don't talk about that more.On Somehow, I don't feel that bad for you posted 2 years, 7 months ago 39 Responses

  • My favorite thing about Brooklyn...

    I don't know if it's still there, but there used to be a building upon which an arist would, every year, paint a gigantic fake ad. Two of my favorites were: "Insist upon plates...they make any meal special!" and "Your dreams can come true with cash!" On A good time was had by ... me posted 2 years, 7 months ago 17 Responses

  • Inviting vs. daring...

    Hi. Yes, I see that she is inviting people to dare her to try new things. I just meant to say that I think that inviting goes over better than daring as a general comment. Besides, whenever I hear the phrase "I double dog dare you!" I start thinking of the movie "A Christmas Story" (which has some excellent double dog dares in it).On Dare this mom to change her life posted 2 years, 7 months ago 36 Responses

  • Inviting vs. daring...

    I would just like to say that I think it's nicer to invite someone to cut down on or eliminate meat rather than dare them to. For one thing, it sounds more polite and more inviting (and people tend to respond to that more willingly than if they feel bullied) and secondly, when you dare someone to do something you are kind of implying that it's not an easy thing to do. On Dare this mom to change her life posted 2 years, 7 months ago 36 Responses

  • The seder plate link...

    I had originally written in my article that if you click on the picture of the plate nothing happens (the link is broken) but if you click on the text below the picture of the plate it will take you to a definition of each element of the plate. That comment got cut during the editorial process.On A sampling of recipes for Passover posted 2 years, 7 months ago 3 Responses

  • Hello, Monteal...

    I've always wanted to visit Montreal and I'm grateful to have a list of bagel places to check out. I am also crazy about lamejuns (I guess everyone spells it differently) and the idea of eating one cooked over a fire is very appealing. Thanks! - RozOn Appropriate technology? posted 2 years, 8 months ago 2 Responses

  • Not to be indelicate but...

    I recycle plastic shopping bags by using them for dealing with animal poop. What will residents of SF do for picking up after dogs? Go out and buy plastic bags? Hmmm.On San Francisco ... posted 2 years, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • The age and quallity of the lentils...

    Willa,
    I think it was the age of my lentils that was probably the biggest factor influencing their long cooking time. I bought them at a well respected natural foods store the day before I cooked them, but I might go to an Indian store instead next time, hoping to get fresher lentils.On Beans, beans, good for your recipe posted 2 years, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Interesting site regarding cooking lentils...

    http://www.beanslentils.com/preparelentils.htmOn Beans, beans, good for your recipe posted 2 years, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Parsley gets no respect...

    Flat leaf (Italian) parsley tastes great and it is a wonderful ingredient, but I think it is so often thought of as a garnish that it gets ignored. It's like a beautiful actress who never gets any meaty, serious roles because directors can't think or see past her beauty. Regular parsely has a great "green" flavor, and I like to use it in tabouli, but I generally stay away from it because I don't like its texture. Either way, they are both very flavorful and should be included in more recipes.On Beans, beans, good for your recipe posted 2 years, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Has beans...

    Tee hee. Thanks for the list of possible offenders. I think it must have been a combination of old beans and hard water. "Old beans and Hard Water" sounds like the title of a destined-to-be-unpopular country and western song, perhaps about running out of premium coffee. - RozOn Beans, beans, good for your recipe posted 2 years, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Organic beans...

    I just want to emphasize once again that even organic beans are very affordable, making this a great dish to serve frequently.On Beans, beans, good for your recipe posted 2 years, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Backpack-covering ponchos...

    Many years ago I owned a poncho that covered me and my gigantic backpack when I went camping. It made me look like Quasimodo, but it kept me and my stuff dry. Well, not dry, exactly, but dry-ish. I think I got it at REI. On Bike commuting fashion tips posted 2 years, 8 months ago 52 Responses

  • Ella Baker

    As an aside, I just wanted to mention that there is a good documentary about Ella Baker. I saw it when it came out in 1981 and it is still available:
    http://www.frif.com/cat97/f-j/fundi45.htmlOn An interview with Van Jones, advocate for social justice and shared green prosperity posted 2 years, 8 months ago 9 Responses

  • Alternate Certification/Farmers Pledge

    Tom mentions that some organic farmers are no longer pursuing organic certification. In talking to farmers who are no longer being certified (but who continue to farm organically) I have found that this is due to a combination of the expense of certification and also to the fact that some organic farmers feel that organic certification may now be less meaningful than it once was, given that large industries are becoming involved in organic farming. I see this as a philosophically motivated, as well as economic, decision. (I have not yet reached my own conclusion about this topic as I am still researching its consequences and implications.)

    Some farmers are seeking an alternative to organic certification. An example of this is The Farmers Pledge, which is, in essence, pledging to continue to employ organic practices and be open to inspection by fellow organic farmers, but not - as I understand it - the expensive inspection process necessary for regular organic certification by an official certifying organization. You can find out more about this by going to the NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association) website: http://www.nofany.org/dbapplet/fpregistry.html
     On If organic food is so popular, why are so few farms transitioning their land? posted 2 years, 8 months ago 21 Responses

  • Why I support Grist taking ads...

    If Grist can support itself in part with advertising they should go for it. As Tom says, the key is to maintain the editorial/advertising separation. That's the important thing.

    I've spent most of my life working for non-profits and I can attest that it's very hard to find work that one cares about that also pays enough to meet basic needs, let alone to have savings or luxuries. I would like very much for the Grist staff not to find themselves having to make hard choices about whether to go or to stay for financial reasons, and if advertising can help to make up that gap then I'm all for it. (For clarification, I am not a staff member, I am a contributing writer.)

    Also, while advertising rarely persuades me to buy anything (largely because I can never remember which ad is for which product -- I am an advertiser's nightmare) I am sometimes interested to see what exists out there that I don't already know about, and I am assuming that the kinds of products that might be advertised on Grist might be things in which I'd be interested.On Get your copy today! posted 2 years, 8 months ago 24 Responses

  • Something I noticed....

    In an interview I read somewhere lately some guy who is being held up as an environmental hero said something along the lines of "I'm not going to get all crazy and stop taking really long hot showers or anything!" and I thought "WOW! Do you not get it!" And the interviewer didn't press him on it! To be honest, I am not certain that cutting down on long hot showers saves energy (since the water is heated anyway...depending on how your water system works, I think) but it sure saves on water. I come from a very waste-conscious family and we always took "Navy showers", i.e. turn the shower on and soap up, turn the shower off and scrub, then turn it back  on and rinse, etc. Those gadgets that turn the water off at the spigot or showerhead are great because they maintain the temperature you want without your having to go through the whole exercise of turning the water back on, getting it to the right temp, gingerly stepping in with your big toe, squealing and quickly retreating, starting all over again,etc.On Don't shoot the messengers posted 2 years, 8 months ago 6 Responses

  • Additional cool, fresh water will change currents

    I've read that as the glaciers melt, the additional cool, fresh water that results will sink to the bottom, under the salt water, and disrupt the sea currents (and resulting weather patterns) as we now know them. This in turn could cause a dramatic cooling of the climate over Northern Europe, making agriculture more difficult and keeping people warm more expensive. This is an aspect of the melting of the glaciers that I don't see discussed as often as things like rising ocean levels or lost habitat for polar bears. Why is that?On Did you hear about the Arctic ice? posted 2 years, 8 months ago 11 Responses

  • Here is the Salvation Army's address

    The Salvation Army National Headquarters
    615 Slaters Lane
    P.O. Box 269
    Alexandria, VA 22313On They only look sweet and benevolent, ringing their little bells posted 2 years, 8 months ago 10 Responses

  • I am going to write to the Salvation Army...

    and tell them that unless they stop this attempt to get the money that Mr. Di Stefano clearly intended to give to Greenpeace, they will never get another penny from me. I will also tell them that I am going to tell all of my friends about what they are doing. I have never heard of a more uncharitable action in my life.On They only look sweet and benevolent, ringing their little bells posted 2 years, 8 months ago 10 Responses

  • Two suggestions...

    One of the members of our co-op added that 1.) you should call whoever  is hostessing and RSVP by the night before and 2.) wear something with an elastic waist.On How to form a vegetarian dining co-op posted 2 years, 8 months ago 8 Responses

  • Yes, it's tricky to be a true vegetarian...

    There are animal products lurking around every corner. My veg friends tell me that they especially have trouble at restaurants where there may be language barriers.  While the staff may understand that vegetarians don't want pieces of meat or fish in the food they may not understand that my friends don't want the food made with chicken stock or fish sauce. And don't get me started on Vegan marshmallows. Ugh.On How to form a vegetarian dining co-op posted 2 years, 8 months ago 8 Responses

  • Bees & Navigation...

    I have been wondering about the sun/navigation angle myself. Something that I learned when I interviewed a beekeeper many years ago was that bees take their bearings anew each morning when they emerge from the hive. That's what enables beekeepers to move the hives at the end of the day once the bees are all back inside, which in turns allows them to "rent" the bees (i.e. take them to different fields and different farms.) On Please? posted 2 years, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • It does seem to me that microwaved water...

    loses its heat more quickly than water heated in a kettle or on a stove (and thus is not as good for steeping tea.) I don't know why this is but it's something I have observed for years. I think it is true of foods as well as liquids. I know this because, in addition to my observations in my own kitchen, I worked at a restaurant where foods that were microwaved were always being sent back to the kitchen because they weren't warm enough even if they were taken directly from the microwave to the customer, whereas the foods that came off the stove were never sent back for being thermatically challenged.On Umbra on boiling water for tea posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses

  • Even if only the students see the bins...

    ...that's enough. Decorated bins can make a garden seem more personalized and more welcoming to those who work in it. My only question is a technical one: will the paint stick to the bins when the bins are outdoors? In my experience (having painted garbage cans myself) once the sun and the rain do their work, the paint eventually peels off. But perhaps these bins are destined to stay indoors? On Win a compost bin designed and autographed by celeb-types posted 2 years, 9 months ago 2 Responses

  • If you want to read about Moosewood...

    Here's a link to an article I wrote about the Moosewood Collective that appeared in the Boston Globe in 2005.

    http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2005/11/02/moosewo ...On How a cookbook renaissance heated up the sustainable-food movement posted 2 years, 9 months ago 18 Responses

  • House of Bush, House of Saud...

    Craig Unger wrote a book about the longstanding relationship between the two families. On Here we go again posted 2 years, 9 months ago 10 Responses

  • Thick cookies....

    Hi. I only just now found this comment. I suspect that the reason you got so many more cookies than I did was that yours weren't as "tall" (i.e. thick) as mine were, but I bet they were just as -- if not even more -- delicious. The next time I make these I will try making then thinner and see what happens.
         I also made cookies with ground pistachios the same day -- like the ones usually made with ground pecans and covered in powdered sugar -- and then I put drops of cherry jam in a thumbprint whole, but they weren't substantially better than pecan ones, so I didn't write it up, but right now, after having spent the whole friggin' day breaking up ice with inadequate tools, I wish there was a nice plate of cookies waiting for me! Instead I'm going to have a handful of advil and curl up with a hot water bottle...On Secret-spice cookies posted 2 years, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • Mayan pyramids and plaster...

    I recently saw a show on the history channel (I think it was "Digging for the Truth" hosted by dashing archaeologist Josh Bernstein) which said that one of the primary reasons for a certain period of Mayan civilization collapsing out was that they burned all the trees in the area in order to make plaster to decorate their pyramids.  This in turn led to erosion, which in turn led to clay encroaching on the fertile soil (dredged from a marsh) leaving them unable to grow crops. I knew that the collapse of their civilzation was due in large part to deforestation, but I didn't know it was to make plaster for the pyramids! On Tell us when green bursts from the screen posted 2 years, 9 months ago 7 Responses

  • revised Moosewood Cookbook...

    There is a more recent version that is less dependent on butter, cheese, etc. If you buy a copy just look to be sure that it's the revised edition.On That's it for me and industrial meat posted 2 years, 9 months ago 46 Responses

  • There are many great Veg Cookbooks out there...

    I like using a combination of Indian cookbooks, Asian cookbooks, and Western Veg cookbooks. (Maybe I'll make a list of my faves later this spring.) Anything by Anna Thomas, Deborah Madison, Mollie Katzen, or the Moosewood Collective is well worth owning. I also like Veggie Planet, by Didi Emmons, and Entertaining for a Veggie Planet is good too. (Disclosure: I worked a little bit on the entertaining book.) Also, Vegetarian Times runs good recipes and informative articles, and of course there are zillions of recipes out there in the world that do not include meat.
         You just have to be careful that you don't fall into The Cheese and Bread Rut, which is easy to do (bagels with cream cheese, pizza, bagels with cream cheese, pizza, repeat.) I wouldn't say that sticking to a Vegetarian diet requires any real loss or sacrifice, but it does require awareness and effort. And adding vegetarian meals to a diet that includes some meat-eating is easy and delightful.On That's it for me and industrial meat posted 2 years, 9 months ago 46 Responses

  • Harvard beats Yale!!!

    I was happy to see that my grad school, Harvard (A-), beat our eternal rival Yale (B+). Ha!

    I wish, though, that my friend Scott Sandberg could have lived to see this. He was a major force for environmental stewardship at Radcliffe. He was killed in an avalanche a few years ago and all of his friends and colleagues miss him terribly. Here's a link to an article about him. He was an amazing guy, always positive and warm and funny besides.

    http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/01.16/25-sandberg ...On A new list will tell you posted 2 years, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • Add the spices with the tomatoes...

    Thanks for your comment. You're right that I left out the timing for adding the spices. Just as you surmised, they go in with the tomatoes. I'm glad you liked it. - R.On Yummy veggie curry posted 2 years, 9 months ago 10 Responses

  • Stem ginger in syrup...

    Gingerpeople now produces stem ginger in syrup. I saw it at Whole Foods on the shelf with their crystallized ginger and ginger juice. See gingerpeople's website for more info.

    http://www.gingerpeople.com/order_syrup.htmlOn Yummy veggie curry posted 2 years, 9 months ago 10 Responses

  • Vegan Chocolate Cake...

    Hey, DivaKama (one of the members of the veggie co-op) Thanks for your testimonial! A little bit of applesauce is good in the cake too. (I'd completely forgotten that I made it for dessert that night. I guess the happy cake memory was blotted out by the negative experience with that non-dairy ice cream-like susbstance. Yeech! I'd sooner go without.) It's kind of a kitchen sink cake -- you can add a lot of different things to it. I know we talked about adding chocolate chips - have you tried that yet? It's good and makes it even more chocolatey although not as vegan if the chips are made from chocolate with milk products in it. Using coffee instead of cherry juice is good too. (We are talking about a vegan chocolate cake recipe than ran on Grist last year, I think in July.) I am, at present, conducting high-level super secret experiments involving this cake recipe and candied ginger and ginger juice. If you see any puffs of smoke from this side of the river or hear me shouting "Eureka!" you'll know what I'm up to.On Yummy veggie curry posted 2 years, 9 months ago 10 Responses

  • Have you read "This can't be tofu?"

    Deborah Madison wrote a great cookbook called "This Can't Be Tofu!: 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would--and Love Every Bite" that I think veg and not alike will enjoy. - Roz On Why the vegetarian critique of meat-eating should make meat-eaters squirm posted 2 years, 10 months ago 103 Responses

  • The Angel Dialogues...

    I have friends who wrote and performed a fantastic opera about Robert Oppenheimer here in Somerville many years ago. So, odd as it sounds, the one you saw is not the first opera about Oppenheimer!On Good stuff I saw, good stuff I missed posted 2 years, 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • A new food-related website: Culinate.com

    Here's another website to check out. It's fairly new and, I need to disclose, I will have some articles published on it, including a nice Q & A with Deborah Madison for those of you who like good vegetarian cooking or just like to eat good veggie dishes.  The wbesite's  focus is healthy, ethical eating.On Why the vegetarian critique of meat-eating should make meat-eaters squirm posted 2 years, 10 months ago 103 Responses

  • And why do people garnish their salads with...

    uncooked ramen noodles? Blech! But I see it everywhere now. People crumble the dry, uncooked noodles over "Chinese Chicken Salad" and the like. On Soup-er news for greens posted 2 years, 10 months ago 8 Responses

  • How about adding a glossary?

    I think a glossary of environmental terms and some quick summations of ideas, especially those described with acronyms, would be a great addition to the website. And maybe have a small glossary of web use acronyms too for the not-so-hip, not-so- web-savvy, not-so-tech-minded among us, like me.On Tell us what you think of us. posted 2 years, 10 months ago 4 Responses

  • I'm glad it's environmentally sound but...

    that house has all the coziness and charm of a corporate lobby. On Pretty houses posted 2 years, 10 months ago 19 Responses

  • Wow...

    Fried balony and mashed potatoes? Yeech! That said, I have many happy memories of doing "The Mexican Hat Dance" in elementary school in the mid-1960's, where we would dance wildly in a circle around a small object (an eraser?) placed on the floor where the "Mexican Hat" would theoretically have been and the teacher would play the 45 record while all of our dancing made the needle skip. That and the Virgina Reel. It prepared me for all the Contra-Contra Contradances later in life (i.e., contradances to raise money to fight the Contras, if I remember correctly.)On Maverick chef Ann Cooper aims to spark a nationwide school-lunch revolution posted 2 years, 10 months ago 20 Responses

  • I hesitate to ask...

    but what is the dish called  "Mexican Hat" that is mentioned in the intro to this article?On Maverick chef Ann Cooper aims to spark a nationwide school-lunch revolution posted 2 years, 10 months ago 20 Responses

  • You may as well be trying to sell screenplays...

    A friend of mine and I were discussing whether there was any endeavor beside screenwriting that was less sure of a successful result given the amount of hard work and tender loving care goes into it. I said "Yes. Farming." Not that that was much comfort to either of us.On Thoughts from a small farm during the midwinter lull posted 2 years, 10 months ago 9 Responses

  • The Economist's subscription price...

    for delivery in America is almost $100. I understand that it costs a lot to have a foreign magazine delivered to one's doorstep in a timely manner, but I still find that price somewhat ironic for a magazine titled "The Economist."On Why The Economist's recent assault on "ethical food" missed the mark posted 2 years, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • Cornflower Blue crayons and eggnog french toast...

    Yes, the first time I saw a chicory flower near a telephone pole I felt my mouth form the word "cornflower blue" as a sort of Crayola Crayon-induced Pavlovian response. I loved using that crayon when I was a kid, not only because of the color (which was quite magical) but because it was the only crayon that seemed to leave a color that was somewhat transparent. I drew a lot of cornflower blue stained glass windows when I was a kid. I can practically smell the crayons as I write this! I think that will be my new motto for myself when I have the itch to do something creative and am putting it off due to work: "Wake up and smell the crayons!"

    I highly recommend the eggnog French toast. If you don't have eggnog around just substitute the cinnamon you normally put in your French toast with a little bit of nutmeg. It's not as rich as eggnog French toast but it's pretty good. On Make your leftover Xmas sweets into something yummy posted 2 years, 10 months ago 5 Responses

  • May-Wah fake Lobster

    Hi. Yes, I have seen May-Wah fake lobster in the freezer section of the Asian Grocery store where I shop. The red color is so intense! I shudder to think what they use to make it that color! I hope it's just beet powder or something. I'm glad to know it's good.On A holiday meal inspired by New Orleans posted 2 years, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Lobsters and vegetarians...

    Yes, I think you're right that there is no known humane way to kill a lobster. I just try to make it as quick as possible by being sure that the water is really hot so that the lobster doesn't experience pain for very long.

    As far as vegetarians and lobster, I've been wondering if simmering tofu (regular, not silken) in a light lemon broth might make it taste a little bit like lobster, or at least enough to try it with lemon butter or with a salad dressing. Something to experiment with in '07! Also, sometimes freezing and then defrosting tofu changes its texture and makes it spongey.On A holiday meal inspired by New Orleans posted 2 years, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Acadia...

    I don't know if that was my typing mistake or a Spellcheck error, but it should absolutely say "Acadia" not "Arcadia."

    Is turducken excessive? Well, it's complex and absurd, but the total weight of the meat is no greater than that of a large turkey, and as long as none of it is wasted I would have to say that, while completely ridiculous, turducken's not really excessive. It just seems that way, which I think it part of its appeal.On A holiday meal inspired by New Orleans posted 2 years, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Perfect with Velveeta!

    What's better with Guacamole "dip" than Velveeta, which is mysteriously described as a "cheese food" as if it is something to feed to domesticated cheeses. Seattle-based Uncle Bonsai (a trio which later went by the name "Electric Bonsai") used to sing a song about Veleveeta in which they referred to it as "Cheese with a perfect disguise" which was actually giving it way too much credit. - RozOn A Krafty concoction of hydrogenated goo gets its day in court. posted 2 years, 11 months ago 20 Responses

  • Greendimes takes a while to kick in...

    Just so you know, it takes a while for your name to be purged from all the lists that are out there. On One dime a month is all it takes posted 2 years, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • Yes, there is a lot of molasses in the gingerbread

    Someone wrote to ask if the amount of molasses in the gingerbread recipe is correct and the answer is yes.On Two non-turkey recipes for the Thanksgiving feast posted 2 years, 11 months ago 19 Responses

  • The sound of breaking glass...

    I met my college boyfriend when I heard the sound of breaking glass and I realized that someone must be recycling. I followed my ears until I found a hippie lugging crates of empty pop bottles into the mail van, which he borrowed from the college each weekend so he could make trips to the local recycling center. To this day the smell of rotting pepsi makes me swoon.On The latest hipster trend posted 2 years, 12 months ago 9 Responses

  • A really nice paper cut about enough and too much

    There's a website that features the work of an amazing British cut paper artist. In the archives is a lovely work that shows a family playing together with the words "We had nothing/We had not much/We had enough/We had everything/Please god don't let me have too much." It's well worth checking out.

    http://www.misterrob.co.uk/Work/Archive/bigleaf.htmOn Want some big paper decorations? posted 2 years, 12 months ago 4 Responses

  • Canned sweet potato

    Yes, it must seem weird that I use canned sweet potato, especially when cooking sweet potato is so easy, but I don't want to anger the ancestors, so I do as they say (on this one day a year...) A nut roast sounds good too. Is there a recipe that you recommend?On Two non-turkey recipes for the Thanksgiving feast posted 3 years ago 19 Responses

  • Foxfire books...

    Someone mentioned ag students not being taught anything about simple farming techniques, only industrial ones. I recommend reading the Foxfire series of books (you can read about them at foxfire.org) that record agricultural traditions in Appalchia. On Eric Schlosser on America's food industry and his delicious new film posted 3 years ago 22 Responses

  • Foxfire books...

    Someone mentioned ag students not being taught anything about simple farming techniques, only industrial ones. I recommend reading the Foxfire series of books (you can read about them at foxfire.org) that record agricultural traditions in Appalchia. On A former McDonald's cook explains his return to the family farm posted 3 years ago 22 Responses

  • I love the ad but...

    releasing all those balloons into the environment can't be a good thing. Please tell me it was all CGI!On A cool new ad campaign from Victoria, Australia posted 3 years ago 5 Responses

  • Meze

    You could serve a variety of small dishes (called meze) just as they do in...Turkey! You can't escape Thankgiving's reach no matter how hard you try...On Two non-turkey recipes for the Thanksgiving feast posted 3 years ago 19 Responses

  • Local greenhouses...

    Hi. Yes, I hope to interview the guy who wrote a history of local farms and farmers. I also talked to a friend who is a solar contractor about what it would take to bring back that many greenhouses in the area. He said that the technology wouldn't be much of an issue, but that there isn't a lot of undeveloped land left that can be used for local greenhouses. Still, once one gets a little bit further out of the city (I am in a "thickly settled" suburb) there would be room to build greenhouses and food would be a lot MORE local even if it weren't grown right in town. Maybe this is a project that we can get Deval Patrick, our new  tech-friendly governor-elect, to support.

    In an aside, I recently read a letter of recommendation written by my great-grandfather's former employer (Lady Lyons of Croom House in Limmerick, Ireland) listing his gardening skills and one of the skills listed was "glass work." I didn't know if that meant glazing, blowing glass, or growing things in greenhouses. Does anyone know?

    Interestingly, the letter also implored him to seek work in England rather than America. Lady Lyons wrote that "Young Irishmen are cannon fodder in America," because it was during the time of the Civil War. (We have really long generations in my family.) He tried England first, but left (I assume because of anti-Irish prejudice and inability to buy land) and came to the US, where he had a farm in Vineland, NJ. He also worked as a gardener in Central Park. Although he and I never met, I think of him and his journey to America whenever I walk through Central Park.On How much can we or should we limit our food imports? posted 3 years ago 5 Responses

  • It's a complicated topic...

    Thanks for your comment. Examining one's feeling and actions about what we should or shouldn't be eating (and how they do or don't coincide) as well as assessing the information available to us about this topic is a full-time job! I hope that my article will have addressed some of the questions that readers have and some of the decisions they made every day.

    Every time I think about changing my shopping and eating patterns so that they more closely reflect my values I end up having to go lie down with a cold compress across my forehead. It should be a topic that's simple and straighforward, but, so far at least, it's a challenging one for me. I know it's difficult for others as well because they tell me so, or they tell me it's so diffucult that they prefer to just not think about it.

    I will say that when presented with easy substitutions or strategies, most people seem willing to take a little extra effort or pay a little more to do the more ethical or environmentally sound thing: it's when it comes to giving things up because there is not easy substitute that the questions and challenges become harder.On How much can we or should we limit our food imports? posted 3 years ago 5 Responses

  • Uncooked yeast dough bad for cats and dogs...

    Hi. I recently read that it's dangerous for cats and dogs to eat uncooked yeast dough, so if you're going to leave the dough out for such a long period of time, you will need to put it where your pets can't eat it. I suggest setting the bowl in the bathroom, which I like to use for proofing dough anyway since it's easy to make it nice and humid in there, especially after a shower, and make SURE that your pets can't push the door open. This list of holiday pet dangers was published in a newsletter from Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston (a well respected animal hospital) and it also included many hazards I knew about (chocolate, coffee, pointsettias, tinsel, etc.) but also ones that I'd never heard were dangerous to cats and dogs, such as macadamia nuts. (So, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts are now officially off of Rover's X-mas list!)

    I also recently read a book on organic housekeeping in which the author cited grapes and raisins as dangerous to pets, which I also wasn't aware of before. No vet has ever mentioned this to me.On A revolutionary bread-making technique, and two new foodie blogs posted 3 years ago 5 Responses

  • And also consider NOT giving gifts..

    I always give holiday gifts to the kids I know, but some of my friends and I decided a few years ago that the best gift we could give to eachother was to not exchange gifts at the holidays. (We refer to it as "Our Most Cherished Holiday Tradition.") What we do instead is all go out to a big Chinese dinner together, which is fun because you can order stuff you don't normally order, like two eggplant dishes, etc., and split the cost. Doing this cuts down on expense, stress, and having too many "things" around, and it leaves us money to give to causes we really care about. And it beats the hell out of getting regifted scented candles!On We need your presents posted 3 years ago 17 Responses

  • Hot Water Bottles...

    I gave hot water bottles to some children for Christmas a few years ago. They enjoyed filling them at the sink (they were three and five years old and this constituted an exciting activity as far as they were concerned, but we had to be sure they used warm and not hot water.) One of them smiled blissfully as he held the waterbottle to his chest and said "I can't wait to take a nap!" which made his mom's jaw drop.
          It's a low tech gift that makes adults happy too. I recently found some at Whole Foods in the expensive soaps and make-up section that have fuzzy covers with "Hot Wheels" type flames embroidered on the sides. I bought some for some of the older kids I know, as they are totally cool looking. Maybe Santa will bring me one too.On We need your presents posted 3 years ago 17 Responses

  • The infamous apple cutting demonstration...

    When I was a girl scout, one of the leaders did a demonstration where she cut 3/4 of an apple off and tossed it away saying "Three quarters of the earth is water..." and then cut off another hunk, calling it untillable land, and so forth until there was only a small, paper-thin wedge left, and from that we were supposed to feed, house, and provide water for all of the people on earth.

    I spent the next few years (grades 4 - 6) lying awake at night with my eyes wide-open, wondering how we were ever going to pull this off. I really think that the same information could have been communicated to me in a less scary way.

    That's why I was shocked when I was hanging out with a friend the other day and she remarked about the very clever apple cutting demonstration she had just seen at her son's school.

    To a grown-up, I guess this is old news, just presented in a very visual and easily understood way. But to me at nine years old, it was "new" news, and it was way too dramatic and scary. Even just thinking of the phrase "Three quarters of the world is water..." and picturing a paring knife gives me the creeps.On Children, anxiety, and global warming posted 3 years ago 14 Responses

  • A new product for Stonyfield? And O'Naturals...

    Something I don't understand is why Stoneyfield Farm doesn't sell strained yogurt. Lots of recipes call for strained yogurt, and while it's easy enough to make, it requires long-term planning. (In my world a few hours qualifies as LTP.) So, here's a suggestion to them -- please sell cartons of organic strained yogurt to use in cooking.

    Also, I had lunch at O'Naturals (a Gary Hirschberg endeavor) in Davis Square (in Somerville, MA) today and it was good. I had small cup of Maryland Crab Soup which was very good and 1/2 of a buffalo chicken sandwich which was passable. With a cup of coffee it came to about $10.00. The first two or three times I went to O'Naturals the food was awful -- I had ordered Asian pan-fried noodle dishes and the noodles weren't hot enough and they were oily and completely flavorless. I'll have to try that again the next time I go there and see if there has been any improvement in that area. I was glad to see, however, that the soups and sandwiches were good. Now if they would only carry bagles besides the vast array of very, very sweet pastries!On Business Week article gave some the wrong impression, company says posted 3 years ago 20 Responses

  • Equal Exchange mini chocolate bars...

    I was at the Equal Exchange headquarters here in Massachusetts yesterday, learning more about Fair Trade, and I was given some tiny dark chocolate bars that were a perfect size for Hallowe'en. Something to keep in mind for next year!On Umbra on Halloween posted 3 years ago 8 Responses

  • "Harvest Apple Pie"

    When I do my Thanksgiving column in three weeks I should have a recipe for an apple pie with dried fruit in it (prunes, raisins, cranberries, cherries, and figs that have been soaked in brandy) but it is still in the tinkering and highly experimental phase right now. Still trying to get the fruit mix right, deciding whether to use dried apples as well, etc.

    As for the whole yams vs. sweet potatoes deal, I might not get around to that in time for Thanksgiving beyond the sweet potato pudding recipe. Maybe I can fit it in later in the year. I have a recipe I made up for an oven-roasted sweet potato dish with mango chutney sauce and red peppers and lime juice and cilantro, etc., that's very tasty and nice in the dead of winter, so maybe I can fit it in during January or something. It's sort of a hot sweet potato salad, as if you made a salad with sweet potato fries. On Order your heritage turkeys now (if you eat turkey) posted 3 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • the name "Tadalafil"...

    I keep seeing ads for an ED drug called Tadalafil. Is it supposed to be a take on "Ta Da!" If so, that's pretty funny. Ta Da! On Apropos of absolutely nothing posted 3 years, 1 month ago 24 Responses

  • Organic Flavored Coffee Beans...

    Newman's Own makes a nice Almond flavored coffee. Although when I served it everyone said "You! A flavored coffee! What next?!?!" in the same tone that people say "You eat meat!!!" I guess I seem a lot hipper and more discerning than I really am.On A recipe for baked French toast posted 3 years, 1 month ago 10 Responses

  • Connoisseur? Or simply Very Dedicated Enthisiast?

    I think what you're really referring to is the snobbery some people associate with connoisseurship more than connoisseurship itself. I think it's possible to be a connoisseur without being a snob. I'm more slob than snob, but that doesn't keep me from learning about stuff I like. I just try (successfully or unsuccessfully) not to sound arrogant when I talk about it.On A recipe for baked French toast posted 3 years, 1 month ago 10 Responses

  • Great Harvest Farmhouse White bread

    As fate would have it, Ken had his annual brunch for this year today and he used Great Harvest Farmhouse White bread. It was slightly moist and had a fine crumb but it really stood up to the custard. If you live in the Boston area I highly recommend it for making "hefty" style French toast.On A recipe for baked French toast posted 3 years, 1 month ago 10 Responses

  • Non-GMO powdered sugar and baking sheets...

    1.) Not only can you get non-GMO cornstarch you can also get non-GMO powdered sugar (which contains non-GMO cornstarch) which is what I meant to say. 2.) Also, it's good to set the pan containing the French toast on a baking sheet (i.e. a flat cookie pan, with or without shallow sides) just to keep the custard from dripping onto the oven floor and I think it also keeps the bottom on the French toast from burning as easily.On A recipe for baked French toast posted 3 years, 1 month ago 10 Responses

  • Aren't they subject to erosion?

    Won't they be damaged over the long haul?On U.K. opens eco-friendly chalk building posted 3 years, 1 month ago 1 Response

  • Cat Food...

    It would be great if someone who is knowledgable about these things could write an article about cat food (and dog food too) as I worry a lot about what's in it. Maybe someone from a vetinary school could do it? My vet said not to give my cats a "home cooked" diet as it would surely be too low in taurine. Right now I feed my kitties canned food made from chicken and turkey, and, for the one who needs "novel proteins" (due to allergies) he gets -- I kid you not! -- canned cat food made from duck, venison, and rabbit. It's expensive and he hates it and he just ends up eating the other one's Fancy Feast anyway.On Something's fishy here. posted 3 years, 1 month ago 5 Responses

  • Those spiky rubber balls for the dryer...

    I have never used dryer sheets because they smell so fake. I simply made peace with the fact that I occasionally leave the house with a sock or two clinging to my butt. Then I saw ads for those spiky rubber balls that look like a cross between a Medieval instrument of torture and a child's toy. I wasn't enthusiastic about using them at first since I never like the idea of doing anything that involves heating plastic, but I finally broke down and ordered some from one of the environmentally conscious-type catalogs.  Now that I have them I really love them. They seem to make the clothes dry faster and more thoroughly. They beat the laundry into submission, thus softening it, and they don't make your laundry smell like some powerful-smelling yet nonexistant flower. If anyone ever asks me "So, what's your washday secret?" I'll be able to smile sweetly and say "I've got balls."On Umbra on dryer sheets posted 3 years, 1 month ago 11 Responses

  • Limberger, (ig) Nobel prizes...

    I actually had a paragraph about Limberger that I cut out of the article. It was about how my grandmother, who grew up in Harlem, saved all her money for months to buy a really big piece of Limberger. She put it on the radiator at school and they had to close the whole school for the rest of the day. (She was a very good student but didn't like her teacher...) Around the same time she also announced to a large crowd that she was being kidnapped as she and her mother were exiting Saint Patrick's one Sunday morning. The police has to send to 125th Street for neighbors to come down and vouch for the fact that her mother was really her mother and she was not, in fact, being kidnapped. So, whenever I think of Limberger I think of my naughty grandmother, who grew up to be extremely strict, dignified, and elegant!
         The (ig) Nobles are wonderful and I'm glad that work on feet and cheese is finally being recognized. Thanks for providing the link.On Mmm ... cheese posted 3 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Supporting local farmers, dairies and cheesemakers

    Hi. In the first installment I mention going to farmers markets to buy locally grown fruit and locally made cheese. Most farmers markets offer apples (I checked with the USDA to make sure this was true) and not as many offer localy made cheese.
         That said, I think it's important to enjoy all the gifts that nature provides as well as to work to protect nature.
         When I was a kid I couldn't understand how people could squander their time and energy on art and music while others were sick, dying, and hungry. (I wasn't a  fun 10-year-old.) As time went by I finally understood that art and music can nurture and inspire us and give us the strength to do all the work that needs to be done to address all the other issues. I also eventually discovered the long tradition of protest music and it all came together for me.
         I guess that's my way of saying that it's important to enjoy life as well as to fight for what we believe. A joyless activist is not an effective activist. It makes me think of Emma Goldman saying "If I can't dance I won't join your revolutiion" or something to that effect. Viva Emma! Viva dancing! Viva cheese!On Mmm ... cheese posted 3 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Fresh Direct on video...

    Some people commented on Fresh Direct after the first part of this article. Today I noticed that the Food Channel has a video tour of their plant. I didn't watch the whole thing (it's six minutes long and I quit after three...proof I have ADD I guess) Here's the URL for anyone who wants to see it.
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_et/?gotoepisode=10On Mmm ... cheese posted 3 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • Shoe Stew

    Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe is one of my favorite short films of all time. I highly recommend it for a food-themed movie night - as well as many of Les Blank's films.On Or, why the Vanity Fair treatment doesn't do justice to food history. posted 3 years, 1 month ago 5 Responses

  • What will happen as the oceans warm?

    I wonder if the continued warming of the oceans will cause potential problems -- such as less krill, competing for feeding grounds, etc. -- and a subsequent downward turn in populations. Then, perhaps, any whaling that's already reduced breeding populations might seem regrettable. Has this been factored into the equation? (If this has already been mentioned, my apologies. I have only had enough time to skim the previous posts.)On Yes posted 3 years, 2 months ago 22 Responses

  • Perfect background music and narration...

    and camera work. Arr.On Arrr ... you ready to party? posted 3 years, 2 months ago 8 Responses

  • Good coffee in Boston...

    Some of the high-end restaurants in Boston have very good coffee -- and at the prices they charge, they better -- but the pizza-and-pasta chain Bertucci's has surprisingly good coffee too. In fact, it's the best I've had in a long time. That and a cannoli...what more could one ask of life, or at least of a modestly-priced chain restaurant? I miss the late, great Coffee Connection so much...On Lessons on how to live from the NYT food section posted 3 years, 2 months ago 9 Responses

  • Orange Roughy in shampoos...

    I remember about 20 years ago seeing Orange Roughy on the label of one of the Aussie brand shampoos. I had no idea what an orange roughy was (although I liked the name) and when I went to look it up in the dictionary I was shocked to discover that I had just washed my hair with a fish. By the way, I just read an article, I think it was in "Plenty," that said that people shouldn't use shampoo. They suggested that people use just conditioner as shampoo only creates the need for conditioner by drying one's scalp.On Re-naming fish makes some more appetizing posted 3 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses

  • Baked French Toast

    I don't find that the degree of staleness (staleitude?) of the bread in question matters much for bread pudding but it does help to leave the bread out overnight for french toast cooked in the pan. Ever since I started making french toast in the oven (which is, basically, a form of bread pudding) I prefer to make it that way for brunch or breakfast when lots of people need to be served at once but you can get away with using a lot less "custard" when you cook it in the pan, thus saving calories, fat, cholesterol, etc. -- all the good stuff.On Food can comfort and heal us in times of grief and despair posted 3 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses

  • Happy Birthday

    Virgos make good editors. All the astrologers say so. Or maybe that's the Year of the Rat. I forget.On A public service announcement posted 3 years, 2 months ago 16 Responses

  • Adding pasta to the soup...

    As far as when to add pasta to a soup, it is certainly true that you can add it earlier but the pasta will be a little bit softer that way. I like to add the pasta to the broth just long enough for it to warm thoroughly but retain its al dente "bite." Maybe it would work best to cook the pasta 5/6 done or something and then let it finish in the soup. I'll have to put that on my list of things to try.

    I've also tried cooking a raw dry pasta called stellinae (little tiny star-shaped pasta) directly in the broth. It's completely delicious because the pasta is full of chicken flavor but it 1.) uses up almost all of the broth (depending on how much pasta you put in) and 2.) gives the broth a starchy, viscous quality. Sometimes that's exactly what you want, however, and in fact this is a dish often served to children (or so I am told!)On Food can comfort and heal us in times of grief and despair posted 3 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses

  • responding to questions and comments re Chicken So

    Thanks for the bread pudding recipe. What's more comforting than bread pudding? I'm glad to hear you had a potluck. I think a sense of community is so important. I remember attending an outdoor "blessing of the animals" service that Saturday. There were chickens tucked under people's arms, dogs on leashes, and hamsters in cages. (There were no cats present -- they had to be blessed remotely.) I remember standing in a circle of humans and animals and feeling intensely grateful for all of creation and, at the same time, feeling that we humans are often so completely unworthy of it.

    What makes this a NYC-style soup? I would say that adding the garlic to the broth rather than sautéeing it gives it a fresh garlic flavor that I associate with all the chicken soup I had in friends' homes when I was growing up in the NY area. (We had Cambell's at my house.) It's true that you can't just go into a restaurant and ask for "NYC-style Chicken Soup" although I have seen a few restaurants that list it simply as "Jewish Penicillin" on their menus.On Food can comfort and heal us in times of grief and despair posted 3 years, 2 months ago 11 Responses

  • Call them "tax breaks"...

    I couldn't agree more with that it would be a bad strategy to have Ralph Nader associated with any of these ideas. (It is my fond hope never to hear his name or see his face again.) Also, I think you should refer to the tax "cuts" as "tax breaks" or "tax credits" rather than "tax cuts." It's not dishonest but still communicates the idea of saving money if you are saving energy.On Albert, Martin, and ... Ralph? Solving the real energy crisis posted 3 years, 3 months ago 26 Responses

  • Hip Whip?

    I recently saw something called Hip Whip in the freezer section of the local natural foods store. I didn't have time to read the label but I suspect it may be Vegan. I'll check it out the next time I am there. I also believe that Cool Whip may lack dairy ingredients (but that's not necessarily a recommendation.) So, happy hunting for a vegan whipped topping. I bet one's out there...waiting to meet its chilly fate atop a soy or rice-cream sundae or a nice vegan cake.On 'Tis the Season (for a long, pointless discussion in the dark ...) posted 3 years, 3 months ago 8 Responses

  • In kind payments

    Thanks for your comment. My grandfather was a country doctor and some of the people who lived in the surrounding hills would pay their bills in squirrel or venison or something else that they had grown, raised, or shot. He took care of everyone -- nobody was turned away. He delivered and buried most of the people in the town. My grandmother was a nurse, one of the first women to graduate from her nursing school! (It's hard to believe now that it was ever considered a "men only" profession, but true!) Thanks for giving me an opportunity to think about them. - RozOn 'Tis the Season (for a long, pointless discussion in the dark ...) posted 3 years, 3 months ago 8 Responses

  • Vanilla and eggwash

    Hi. That was a formatting error. There should have been a break between the word vanilla and the new category, eggwash. Good call! I'll try to fix it. Where do you do (study? practice?) atmosphereic science?On 'Tis the Season (for strawberry shortcake) posted 3 years, 3 months ago 5 Responses